Obituary of JOHN T. TIEDEMANN

John quietly passed away, holding the hand of Judy, his beloved wife of 49 years. John was preceded in death by his eldest child, Amy-Beth; his parents, Hertha and Fritz Tiedemann; and his in-laws, Walter and Rena Badaracco. John was born and raised in Union City, where he formed friendships which lasted a lifetime. He graduated from Steven's Academy. He briefly attend Hope College, returning to his city roots and, while attending Jersey City State College, met his future bride. John and Judy married in May of 1964 and raised their family in Lake Hiawatha. John joined the Parsippany Troy-Hills Police Department in 1966 and retired as a lieutenant, working in Planning and Research, in 1991. John took great pride in his role as head of the Crime Prevention Unit and even greater pride in encouraging the department to ensure that its recruits were college educated. He served as president of the PBA, and fought for better pay and benefits for the police department. He started the Danger Stranger program, which evolved into a school-based teaching program. John made sure that Parsippany was at the forefront of police programs, including the Emergency Response Team and hostage negotiation team. He was instrumental in ensuring that the final national accreditation of the Department during his tenure was achieved with ease. His other achievements included: Outstanding Parsippany Policeman from the Parsippany Jay Cees; COCAP's Distinguished Service Award; and, as a sergeant, he received the Chief's Award, for "outstanding and professional police work". John graduated from Bloomfield College, with a BA in History, Sociology, and Criminal Justice. At graduation he received the award of Outstanding Student of the Year from the Sociology Department. John was a member of the Parsippany Republican Club and the Morris County Republican Committee, representing district 31; the Fraternal Order of Police; the Superior Officer's Association of the Parsippany PBA. While he was proud to serve the community of Parsippany Troy-Hills, and proud to have his work acknowledged, by far his greatest pride came in winning the hand of "the most beautiful girl in the world". John loved his family with every bit of his being and was grateful that his children learned the importance of hard work. He is surely at peace, knowing that his children have full and happy lives. He is survived by his beloved, and now heartbroken wife, Judy (nee Badaracco); daughter, Jill-Marie and partner, Janelle of Santa Fe, NM; son, Jon-David and wife Michelle of Bristow, VA; grandchildren: Jessica, Charlie, Nicholas, Ashley. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Badaracco-Tiedemann Scholarship Fund, PO Box 210, Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034.